


Please Don't Change

by PinkAuthor



Category: Rune Factory 4
Genre: Doug POV, Doug is a mess, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:35:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26082793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkAuthor/pseuds/PinkAuthor
Summary: Doug's village was destroyed by Ventuswill, the Divine Wind. The Sech Empire had helped him get back on his feet in return for help bringing her down-something he was more than willing to do once he found out she had been the cause for the death of everything he knew back home. Still, this willingness couldn't have prepared him for the whirlwind of events that happened next: monsters turning into people, a dragon weakening for no reason, making friends in the most unlikely of places, and betrayal where it was unexpected. But that's the only way it can happen, isn't it?
Relationships: Doug/Dylas (Rune Factory)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21
Collections: Rune Factory Big Bang





	1. Part 1: A Refugee from a War-Torn Village

**Author's Note:**

> I'm very excited to be posting for this year's Rune Factory Big Bang! The rest of the story will be posted later today, I've got some formatting to do and also classes this morning. I hope you guys enjoy!

The sound of the young dwarf man’s feet falling on stone brought him out of a trance-like state. He had been walking for days, trying to reach Selphia. The sound of his feet on the earth had become background noise three days ago, and the sound of rustling leaves from woodland monsters disappeared from his mind even earlier than that. But stone signaled the end of his journey, and he wished he was less tired so he could fully enjoy the relief it brought him. Instead, he wandered into the biggest building to find refuge from his past.

As he approached the castle in the center of the town, he realized that it was the home of the Wind Dragon, Ventuswill. His exhaustion dripped away as he felt his body tense up. He couldn’t _afford_ to be tired here, not where he was still in danger. He had to find another place to stay while he set up his communications. Maybe there would be an Inn somewhere he could stay.

He took a sharp right to avoid the castle. There was what looked like a flower shop to his right and another nondescript store dead ahead. He steeled himself as he approached the door of the shop. He had to remember that these people were responsible for what had become of his life. They might not be the cause of it, but they were complicit and that was enough for him.

Deciding to forgo knocking, as this _was_ a shop, he entered quietly and peeked around. The shop was simple, but food and supplies were plentiful. The thought of saving his meager amount of gold and stealing what he needed for now crossed his mind, but he knew that if the shopkeeper noticed missing items that he would be the first suspect, as the newcomer. He would have to find another way to stretch his gold, unfortunately.

A small old woman shuffled out from behind a shelf and smiled brightly at him, “Did you need help with anything, dear?” she asked as she moved items around on the shelf. She paid the extended silence no mind and continued to organize her wares. A few moments passed and she gave him an understanding look. “Don’t worry about the gold, dear. I won’t turn away a hungry person. Take the fruit from the discount barrel. They’re a little bruised but still fresh. People just don’t like paying full price for something that looks damaged.”

He nodded quietly and took an apple. He suddenly didn’t have much of an appetite.

* * *

The dwarf set up camp right outside of the town. He had run into three other people that day, all of which were nauseatingly kind to him. He was a complete stranger. He was _armed_. He was a refugee from the war-torn border.

He was barely even a man. He had barely started to get integrated into the adult aspects of life when his village had been destroyed. Fear lingered at the back of his mind as he started trying to make his fire. He couldn’t stop thinking of how kind and accommodating the people seemed to be. He huddled his makeshift sleeping bag as close as he could safely manage to the fire and tried to find sleep.

* * *

The next day proved to be just as irritating. As a traveler, he had now been in this town for two days and word had gotten around that _nobody_ had housed him. One of the townsmen apparently only saw him from a distance, mistook his dwarf height for that of a child, and was _outraged_ at this discovery. As soon as the dwarf set foot in the town that day, a huge wall of a man zeroed in on him and barreled towards him.

There was loud shouting but his own heartbeat, loud and furious in his ears, drowned out any semblance of words. He felt a tight grasp lock onto his upper arm and a sensation of weightlessness as his feet parted from the ground. Had he been figured out so quickly? So easily? Was this town more competent than he realized? Was he _less_ competent than he realized?

The man, not getting any kind of response, shook him a bit and tried to startle him back to the present. Just as the dwarf was about to try and talk himself out of whatever trouble he had found himself in, the towering man set him down.

The little old lady from the shop had her small, frail hand set on the tall man-whom he could now see was dressed in full formal wear. She looked concerned and a bit exasperated but shooed the man away. A nobleman? A waiter? An eccentric man?

“You look exhausted, don’t tell me you slept out in the forest with the monsters.” The dwarf’s face lit up in embarrassment. He felt like he was being lectured by one of his village’s elders. He opened his mouth to defend himself, but the old woman continued through his attempted protest, “I can see the leaves still in your hair and dark circles under your eyes. Don’t give me any lip, young man.”

Still red in the face, he hung his head. He couldn’t really argue with a sweet old lady. Especially not one who had gone out of her way to look out for him twice now. “I’m sorry.” He mumbled, a reflex of sort.

She shook her head and looked up at the other man. “This is Volkanon. He’s the head butler to Lady Ventuswill. My name is Blossom, and yours is…?” The dwarf took in the sight of them, something he had been avoiding doing. He was meant to find out information from these people, to help avenge all the lost loved ones from his village. He was meant to betray their trust, something he thought would be easier to do if he just…didn’t look at them too much.

Blossom prompted him further, “I can’t very well hire you on as my assistant shopkeeper if I don’t even know your name. We know the looks of refugees when we see them, and this town isn’t in the habit of turning away those in need.”

He almost felt like he had to turn her down, but he knew that becoming part of this town would be the most reliable way of getting information to send out. He dipped his head low, a small seed of guilt forming in his gut.

“My name is Doug, and my village was destroyed by the war. Thank you for taking me in.”

* * *

Doug slowly learned the names and routines of everyone in the town. He ran errands for Blossom and kept a safe distance from everyone else. Clorica was unsettling to interact with, especially before he could reliably tell whether she was asleep or awake. Forte intimidated him quite a bit, even if he was hesitant to admit it. Kiel was a bit odd and always seemed a lot younger than he apparently was, and Doug always tried to avoid Xiao Pai. Nothing against the girl, she was very sincere and kind, but trouble stuck to her and anyone around her.

He settled into a routine, too. A slow one that was spent mostly keeping the shop in order and helping Blossom with her deliveries, so she didn’t have to walk across town. It wasn’t until she started accompanying Doug on some of the deliveries that he realized she still enjoyed socializing. She just had a hard time moving around a bit, and the extra set of hands helped out tremendously.

She was _lonely_. And Doug had become family to her.

* * *

His reports to the Sechs were filled with useless information. But in Doug’s defense, there wasn’t any information to _give._ Ventuswill just kind of…. gave her opinion on any troubles the townspeople brought to her and that was the end of it. She seemed to keep order simply by residing in the castle.

Doug’s routine was pretty simple, and he fell into a comfortable lifestyle with his new home. He woke up early to eat with Blossom, helped out in the shop, ran deliveries, and in his spare time he visited the bathhouse and explored the forest to get to know the area better.

Several months passed before he received a letter in return for his outgoing messages. The paper was heavier than it should have been in his hands. The words burned into his eyes as he realized that helping the Sechs meant more than just sending letters out.

“ _Another source has verified that the runes of the land are rapidly depleting in Selphia. This coincides with the information you’ve given us about the forest and its monsters. There is a rumor that the king has sent out an Earthmate with a valuable item called a runestone. This could help change the tide of this war. Obtain the runestone by any means necessary and report any changes.”_


	2. Part 2: Monsters to Humans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doug trails after Frey to find out as much as he can for the Sechs. He never expected monsters turning into humans, though, and definitely not to befriend one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YEET  
> Art is by @platypik on tumblr!

The report came and a few more stressful weeks passed. Winter’s cold grasp finally relented and Spring had just arrived. Doug hadn’t seen the supposed Earthmate, but he still felt like he couldn’t relax. As he looked up to the sky on the first real day of Spring, he realized his tenseness was going to be around for a bit. He saw someone, clear as day, fall out of the sky and through Ventuswill’s skylight.

Surely the Sechs meant that the Earthmate would be arriving through _normal_ means of transportation, right? But what were the odds of someone unrelated falling into the skylight? He felt nasty when his first thought was that the person probably died from that height-meaning he wouldn’t have to do anything to get the runestone.

He tried to continue the day as normal, seeing as nobody else had apparently noticed the fall. He stocked goods and talked with Blossom, until he came face-to-face with a ghost. There had been no travelers that he had heard of, and he certainly hadn’t seen anyone else come to town. And yet this woman stood before him, without a scratch on her, asking around town if anyone recognized her.

Nobody else had, and he wouldn’t be admitting to seeing her fall from the sky. She introduced herself as Frey and took off, hoping to find someone who _did_ know her. Her own confusion over why she was there and if anyone recognized her only made Doug conflicted. How was he supposed to get a runestone from someone who didn’t even know they had one?

Being friendly was a challenge. Frey seemed motivated, upbeat, and endlessly friendly. Doug was a pretty friendly person, too, but he was also terrible at hiding his motives until recently. The sudden shift in his life made even the most pleasant of interactions stressful and draining. _Especially_ with Frey. Everything she did seemed to drain the energy from him, even though he never got any kind of indication that she was being anything but genuine and helpful.

Only a few days into her stay-she was pretending to be a Princess, apparently-she started venturing out into the woods around the town. Doug had come to the conclusion that she definitely _didn’t_ have the runestone, and given her entrance, she probably lost it on the drop. He had an idea of where it might be, considering Yokimir Forest started having unusual activity around the time she arrived.

Once Ventuswill officially sent her out to investigate, however, he knew he had to follow along. He decided offering to help would be too suspicious, given his otherwise distanced approach towards her, so he stayed up in the trees as she ventured out. She made her way through the forest with ease, despite the gates and archer orcs. Luckily the trees were dense enough for him to make his way through without alerting her _or_ the monsters. He didn’t want to try and fight from up in a tree.

When she reached the end of the forest, a field appeared behind her. He tried to follow for a better view, but he was stuck outside. Climbing to get a better vantage point, he noticed a caterpillar? No, a pupa, in the middle of the clearing. It was strange, he had been here dozens of times and never seen anything like it. Frey started attacking at the roots, seemingly trying to tear the entire creature down. It let out an ungodly screech and wriggled around, attempting to free itself.

There was a bright flash of light and Frey was knocked back slightly. The pupa had transformed into a butterfly….woman? She still seemed rather aggressive and kicked at Frey, floating gently above the ground. The entire situation boggled Doug’s mind. Why is there a monster like that?

Frey dodged attacks methodically, moving to the side to avoid swarms of sticky butterflies coming to the monster’s aide and attacking quickly before retreating to get out of the way of a sonar blast. Weakened, the monster let out a frustrated noise and swarmed around the clearing angrily, puffing out some sort of pollen. Frey steered clear of it, still attacking and retreating to avoid damage.

Then as the final blow was dealt, the creature fell to the ground and writhed for a few moments. Its entire appearance shifted, the wings and antenna disappeared and it shrank a bit, turning a more human-like shade, until only a girl remained.

Doug could vaguely hear Frey asking if she was okay, and the girl responded with something he couldn’t quite make out before passing out. Frey tried again to wake her, but she was out cold. He tested the entrance to the clearing, only to find that whatever had prevented him from entering before was gone. He decided now, since there was someone else involved, would be a good time to reveal himself.

“What’s wrong?” he called out, walking closer to get a better view. Her wings and antennae had _not_ disappeared, only shrank down to be less noticeable. Was she really a human? Or a humanoid monster? Or a human that was possessed?

“Doug?” Frey asked, “Why are you here?” she seemed a bit dazed, much more tired than he had ever seen her. She also looked extremely concerned. Doug couldn’t think of a moment these past few days when she had been doing anything but beaming…but here she was, brow furrowed and fear and worry in her voice.

“Oh…” he shrugged nonchalantly, “I was just walking by.” He changed the subject quickly, “But forget about me for a sec…” Doug crouched next to the girl and watched for rise and fall of her chest. She was definitely still alive. “Who’s this?” He asked, as if he had truly been just walking by.

“Well, I don’t know.” Frey admitted, quite easily. He didn’t really expect her to lie, though. “A monster I was fighting suddenly turned into a girl…” she trailed off slightly, her voice becoming a bit more wispy as she finished, “…assuming I didn’t just dream the whole thing.”

He expressed his real shock, “Monsters turning into humans?? I’ve never heard of such a thing!” He hoped he could get more information by talking with her, but he was having a difficult time wrapping his head around the situation at hand.

“Yeah, I don’t get it either.” Frey seemed to be too stuck processing the events to really be of any help, information-wise. He couldn’t really fault her for that, though.

“I wonder what the heck is going on here…” he turned his attention back to the girl. “Doesn’t seem to be injured, at least. Not on the outside, anyway.” He wasn’t sure how to feel about the possibility of the girl being injured. Mostly because he wasn’t sure how he felt about a former monster-person. Still, internal bleeding could cause a real problem, even with Jones’ help.

“Should I take her back to town?” Frey’s question interrupted his internal struggle of if the girl was a human or a monster. To hell with it, she needed something.

“I guess so.” He relented, unsure if he could deal with leaving a random girl out in a forest full of monsters. “Let’s have Jones look at her.”

Doug carried the girl as Frey kept any monsters at bay on the way to town. When they reached the gates, he handed her off to Frey. “You’re good from here, right? Blossom needs some help in the store and I already skipped too many hours today.”

Frey laughed, “Yeah I can take her, don’t give Blossom too hard of a time, okay?”

* * *

He inspected the clearing the next day, but other than an odd feeling he brushed off, nothing was out of the ordinary. Doug decided that keeping to Frey would be his best bet in finding out what was going on.

When he returned to town, the girl had woken up and been taken in by Illuminata. At least, that’s what he figured since she was in tow, happily flapping her wings as the town’s self-proclaimed detective showed her to the flower shop. Later he learned that the butterfly girl’s name was Amber. And even later (but not by much) he learned that she was almost as exhausting as Frey. At least she never seemed to know what was going on, either, so it made him feel better about his own situation.

* * *

Frey hadn’t done anything out of the unusual for a couple of weeks. She farmed, sold goods, crafted, fought some low-level monsters, and frequented Blossom’s shop. He barely even had to keep tabs on her, since she made everyone in town her business. _She_ sought _him_ out at least once a day….just to greet him. He didn’t understand why she would go out of her way just to try and be friendly. He wanted to keep her at arms-length and in earshot. Nothing more. Not until he got the runestone and got it back to the Sechs.

What _was_ unusual, though, was the sudden uptick of strange noises in the night. He lurked around town, hoping to find out if anyone else was hearing them, but for the first couple of nights, it was only him. But they got louder, and more people noticed eventually. Until Blossom was even kept up one night.

He discreetly followed Blossom to Ventuswill’s chamber, where he could see Arthur and Margaret also coming to inform the native dragon about the noises. Frey entered and Doug ducked down, listening to her getting caught up to speed.

“Well, you’ve heard the cursed voices, right? We want to learn more about them. _All_ about them,” Blossom explained, ignoring Margaret’s wail of fear at the mention of them.

“Cut it out Granny Blossom!” The old woman just chuckled. Doug knew she wanted them solved, but he also knew she liked to have fun with things.

“People have been reporting creepy voices echoing through the town every night lately,” Arthur explained, seeing Frey’s confusion on the topic.

“Cursed voices in the night…” Frey trailed off slightly in thought, “Could it be Venti in her sleep?” Doug had to stifle a laugh, but he seemed to be the only one amused by the idea. The townspeople were a bit shocked at the notion and Ventuswill looked mildly irked. Frey squirmed a bit, then amended her suggestion, “No, that’s not very likely, is it? But if it’s not sleep-talking, then what else could it be?” She laughed awkwardly, “It must be Venti howling to the wind!”

Blossom glossed over the odd reaction Frey had to get the conversation back on track, “All joking aside, Frey, have you heard these voices?” She nodded, probably too embarrassed to speak up again for the moment.

“You too?!” Margaret cried, more worried the longer the conversation about the voices went along. She whimpered, shivering slightly.

Frey found her voice again, and sought to clarify the situation by asking, “So why are you guys here, again?”

“Well, this is just a rumor, too, mind you,” Arthur spoke up, prefacing his words with a disclaimer. Doug didn’t really like how wordy his answers always seemed to be. “But it seems someone found out where those voices were coming from.”

“ _Yeah!_ ” Margaret said, “I was told they were coming from the ruins in the southeast!”

“There’s so many monsters there, though, that no one ever gets anywhere near that place.” Blossom said, elaborating on the unasked question of why none of them had investigated themselves. “Strange stuff, eh?” She cut her eyes at Margaret and teased her a bit more, adding, “We might just have to admit that it’s really a curse!”

“Granny Blossom!” she stuttered out, trying to argue. Margaret couldn’t get very far with a defense, though, as Arthur pushed the conversation along.

“Fortunately, there hasn’t been any damage in the town just yet. But if the rumor spreads too far, it could be a huge blow to tourism.” He dipped his nose into the little book he carried with him, looking at his notes as he spoke, “That’s why we came to ask Lady Ventuswill for assistance.”

“We know it’s not good to rely on her to solve all our problems,” Blossom added, the teasing tone absent for only a moment before she picked it back up to say, “but Margaret was so scared she practically begged us to come.” Margaret’s attempt at defending herself fell flat as Ventuswill finally responded to the townspeople’s request.

“Cursed voices, you say?” She boomed, her voice echoing through the large chamber. “I have an idea what it might be. Please, put it out of your minds. I’ll handle this matter myself.”

“You…will?” Arthur asked, surprised by the turn of events.

Margaret cheered and said, relieved, “Now I can finally get some sleep!”

Doug zoned out as Margaret and Blossom bantered back and forth in the background. He didn’t think that the dragon would _really_ take care of everything herself, no matter how much the others believed in her. They all thanked her and left, grateful and relieved despite only an empty promise in return for their request.

Frey stepped forward and spoke with Ventuswill privately, but Doug couldn’t make out everything being said. Ventuswill growled out angrily very quickly, though, shocking him. Was she going to _eat_ Frey? The girl jumped back in surprise.

“Who do you think you are, anyway?!” The dragon snapped, her voice noticeably different than before, “Do you have some sort of grudge against me? Something to prove, maybe?” She got more irritated as she spoke, “To think anyone could confuse my _howling_ for a cursed voice! What am I? A wolf? A dog?! Look me in the eyes and say that again!”

Doug was beyond confused. How was this native dragon so different from before? Was she really lying to the whole town about who she was? He vaguely heard Frey apologizing to Ventuswill, and he tone returning to normal. Was the dragon really just a child? Or was this _another_ act, specifically for Frey? How deep did her deception go?

Suddenly, he heard the dragon mention the ruins and his ears perked up.

“-ater Ruins, if you’d please. Consider it punishment for your insolence. Now go!”

“But didn’t you just say you’d handle this?” Frey argued, still incredibly at ease with the angry dragon.

“I’d very much like to look into this matter with my own eyes, yes,” she replied, “but I really shouldn’t be away from the castle.” Doug bristled, why was she sending Frey into the ruins for her?

“I can look after the castle in your place, you know.” She countered playfully.

“A native dragon could never be replaced by the likes of a human such as you!” Doug had heard enough. He was fuming at the supposed ruler of this town. If nothing else, couldn’t she have concern for her _own_ people? To send a young woman who barely even remembered her own name, regardless of any innate powers, to a monster-infested area just to listen to some scary noises was _ridiculous_. And he? He would-

Doug’s heart dropped. He knew that meant _he_ would be investigating. These strange occurrences around a heavily monster-populated area were too similar to the Yokimir Forest to be a coincidence, and there was the off chance Frey might need the backup. So, when Frey left for the day, he told Blossom he would forage for some herbs and he followed.

* * *

Doug has always been a bit intimidated by Volkanon, but seeing him barrel through the huge logs in the town outskirts solidified that feeling into fear. He didn’t understand how a man like that _existed_.

As they neared the ruins, Doug still trailing a safe distance behind Frey, he could hear the ominous noises coming from the ruins even more clearly than in town. They were definitely headed the right way. Kiel scared him along the way, too, right as he was about to follow Frey to the upcoming bridge. He popped out of nowhere and greeted her casually.

“What are you doing here?” He said, as if he strolled out here regularly.

“I could ask you the same, Kiel!” She cried, clearly with the same mindset as Doug; that Kiel was in danger this far out from town.

“I was doing some field work over there,” he explained, “I’m studying the ancient ruins around here, and trying to learn more about the land.” He animated and eager to tell Frey all about his studies, “So I’ll often go poking around in them to see what I can find.”

“What about the monsters?” Frey asked, concerned.

“That’s true, _always_ good to have an escape plan handy, just in case things get ugly!” He replied cheerfully, though Doug didn’t see how that really answered the question. “Oh, yeah, speaking of which, there’s someplace I have to be. Gotta run!” He disappeared with a bright flash of light and Doug realized he had learned the escape spell. _Of course_ he knew the escape spell.

The Water Ruins were creepy, falling apart, and echoed ominously. Doug _hated_ them, and didn’t even want to think about what could be in the water below them. He followed Frey regardless, as she walked up to an old tablet in the center of the first room. She tried to read it, not even noticing a monster appearing behind her from a nearby gate. Still trying to read even as the monster approached her, Doug rationalized that _this_ kind of situation was part of the reason he followed her.

He flung himself forward and beat the monster down, sending it back to the beginning, where all monsters eventually go back to. Frey whipped around in surprise, finally noticing the danger far too late.

“Doug?!” She cried out, “What are you doing here?” He felt warmth rise up to his face, of all the responses she could have given!

“I could ask you the same thing!” He snapped, accidentally parroting her words with Kiel, “This place is crawling with monsters! Spacing out like that could get you killed!” He was annoyed and scared. He couldn’t protect her like this too often or she would definitely figure out what’s going on.

She laughed nervously, “I guess I was wrapped up in trying to figure out what’s written here,” she explained unnecessarily. He already knew, he had been watching her. “Didn’t even notice.” _He knew_.

“Yeah and that’s what I’m worried about.” He explained, a bit less hostile now that he had calmed down, “Pay attention to your surroundings! Seriously!”

“Thank you.” She said quietly.

Doug sighed heavily, “Man, I’m a nervous wreck around you. Here, take this. You might need it.” He handed off a short spell for a minor fireball. It wasn’t much use without practice, but he figured a fire attack in a water area might give her a bit of an edge. He paused for a second. “You must be wondering what I’m doing out here.” To his surprise, she looked at him curiously, as if the thought hadn’t even crossed her mind. “Well,” he scrambled to back-track, “That’s none of your business! Anyway, nevermind!”

He turned to leave, but then looked back. She didn’t know anyone, or anything. Maybe he could just…get information out of her casually? “Come to think of it, are you familiar with the rune sphere?”

She repeated the phrase back at him and shook her head, “Can’t say I’m familiar with that term. What’s this all about?” He should have figured she wouldn’t be able to tell him anything about it, but he had hoped maybe she had learned something from the dragon.

“I’m just…looking for it.” He replied vaguely. He didn’t really want her to get involved. He didn’t have anything against Frey, against _any_ of the townspeople. “That’s all. Nothing to concern yourself with.” He turned to leave again, “Anyway, I should go.”

He walked back towards the exit, before remembering _why_ she was in this situation. His gut sank and he found his feet stuck, so he spoke up one last time. “One more thing, though, before I leave.” He gritted his teeth and averted his eyes from her, unable to see the reaction she’d have, “You better not be committed to….that fool.” He had intended to say the dragon, Ventuswill, anything, but he couldn’t bring himself to directly align himself against her. Not when Frey seemed to be so friendly with her at the moment.

So he continued to follow from afar, following a safe distance. Thankfully, she didn’t space out again and was ready at each turn. But Frey’s first attempt to reach the god-awful noise was thwarted by a missing piece. She had to run the entire perimeter-fighting the whole way-to reach two levers to raise it from the water to move forward. It was strange, that such an old mechanism worked so well still.

When she entered the source of the noise-directly in the center of the ruins-she came up on a huge, regal, black and purple stallion with a unicorn horn. It bucked backward and squealed at her, showing off its aggressive nature. At least this one didn’t seem to be human, given that it was in the shape of a horse.

Frey was at the ready immediately, using the fireball attack that Doug had given her to attack from a distance. She seemed to be waiting to see what kinds of attacks it might have. It bucked at her, forcing her to dart out of the way to avoid being injured. Doug winced at the thought of being hit directly with that horn. She continued dodging and intermittently attacking as the unicorn stallion charged and bucked and kicked at her.

To Doug _and_ Frey’s surprise, the stallion stomped down, shooting out electric currents towards her. She was hit and staggered to the side to avoid the next charge. Doug felt the urge to help, but just like last time, he was outside of the invisible force. He gritted his teeth and bit down the urge to help.

As the stallion grew more agitated, it started attacking differently. It threw wind blades towards her, a blow she narrowly avoided. Frey must have been prepared for magical attacks, after the first one. It charged repeatedly, giving her no time to catch her breath, and then shot a concentrated lighting bolt towards her. She slipped a potion from her bag and downed it quickly, keeping her eye closely on the stallion. She attacked a few more times and it dropped, writhing on the ground just as Amber had done before transforming. _Was_ it another person?

Then, as quickly as it had fallen, the stubborn monster struggled to its feet to continue fighting. It attacked with the ferocity of a dying beast, leaving her with no option but to sacrifice hits to land blows. She dodged as well as she could, but sustained her fair share of damage. The stallion fell once again after several minutes of back and forth between them, writhing on the ground once more.

Just like Amber, the beast transformed into a human-this time a man- that looked vaguely similar to the monster he had once been. And just like Amber, the man was unconscious.

“Is it over?” Frey breathed out to herself. She approached the man on the ground and examined him for a moment. “It’s a man this time…” She decided by herself to take him back to the clinic, and Doug decided that twice in a row for him to show up on a “walk” might be one time too many. He hid as she left, following her at a safe distance to make sure they got back to town unharmed.

* * *

Doug had heard about the man only a few hours after his arrival in the clinic. He feigned surprise and expressed his frustration about not knowing what was going on. He followed Frey around discretely the rest of the day, to see if he could find out more. Unfortunately, the man was passed out for the rest of the day, and he had to resign to working the evening shift at the shop.

The next morning, however, he strolled through town looking for Frey, but was momentarily blinded but a bright flash of magic in the middle of the courtyard. He saw Frey rush into Venti’s chamber and he waited outside the door, eavesdropping.

Ventuswill stuttered over her words in a casual tone he had never heard from the _Divine Wind_. Frey explained that she was looking for the man, and how she had found him to begin with in the Water Ruins as a monster. He had apparently left the clinic without telling anyone. Ventuswill ushered Frey away by saying that she should return him to the clinic.

“By the way…why was this room shimmering a moment ago?” She asked, a question Ventuswill seemed to have been trying to avoid.

“Sh-shimmering you say?” She stuttered, a forced doubtful tone, “I think you must have imagined that.” Doug’s heart pounded, what was the dragon trying to hide, even from the Earthmate who was on her side? Frey made a noise like she was about to argue, but a loud thud halted her.

“Venti?!” She cried out, fully distracted. Doug peeked inside to see what the source of the noise was. Ventuswill had collapsed in the middle of her chamber. She forced herself back into the sitting position and assured Frey.

“I-I’m okay.” She said, now sounding more frail than forced.

“You don’t look okay!” Frey argued, stepping forward to help.

“Well don’t worry… I’m just tired.” Ventuswill assured her. Frey tried to convince her to see a vet or Volkanon, or Jones, but the dragon wouldn’t have it. “I said I’m okay, I just didn’t get enough sleep. I was…so worried about you in the Water Ruins, I couldn’t get a moment of shut-eye.” Doug scowled at the dragon’s words. She didn’t seem convincing at the least, as if she was just saying this to distract Frey with her supposed concern away from whatever she was hiding. “So don’t concern yourself with me, just be grateful that I care so much about you!”

Ventuswill stopped any more conversation by opting for a nap and asking if Frey could handle the escaped man by herself. She reluctantly agreed, and hoisted the man up alone. Doug slipped away before she exited.

* * *

The man, who Doug learned was Dylas, was worse than Amber and Frey _combined._ He found himself near the man constantly, despite always seeming to look for a way to get further from him. It was like the horse boy had a gravitational pull that _only_ affected Doug and it was starting to annoy him.

After an entire season of somehow eating at Porco’s place exclusively during Dylas’ shift, Doug decided to go in when he _knew_ that the other man was normally fishing. Of course he knew the gist of his schedule, he was keeping tabs on everyone in town.

“What can I get for ya, short stuff?” The voice alone bristled Doug, _why_ was he here?

“I just want a peaceful lunch,” Doug snapped. He hated the constant nicknames about his height. He was a _dwarf_ , he was _supposed_ to be short.

“You came to the wrong place, then,” Dylas teased, “Porco’s place is never peaceful.” Porco let out an indignant gasp from the kitchen, but was too preoccupied with cooking to actually come out and defend himself. Doug was sure that Dylas would get an earful over the comment later, though.

“I came at the wrong _time_ , apparently. You’re not supposed to be working right now.” Dylas frowned a bit at the response, but Doug didn’t really care. He just wanted a snack he didn’t have to cook for himself so he could go back to trying to figure out what to do about Frey and the runestone.

“Well _so-o-rry_ ,” Dylas dragged out, with an attitude that Doug hadn’t seen much of before. He seemed almost insulted that Doug didn’t want to be around him, despite how they never do anything but argue. “Here, let me take my break so you can have a _peaceful_ lunch.” He untied his apron and tossed it over the counter. “I’d avoid the seafood today, the shrimp is particularly nasty.”

Doug stood stunned for a moment as Dylas walked past him, not sure what set him off so badly. He didn’t like Doug, either, so why was he so upset? They had said worse to each other and he still left with a better mood than just then.

He felt planted to the ground, but found the momentum to move. He headed back to the shop, suddenly not hungry any more.

* * *

A few hours later the shop bell rang out, and Doug raced out of his room to get to the counter. He wasn’t supposed to leave the shop area when he was on duty but….some days were really slow and he got bored a lot. He hadn’t expected to see Dylas in the shop, with a packed lunch in hand. Doug tried to ignore the gnawing at his stomach from earlier, when he had lost his appetite.

Dylas tossed the lunch at Doug and averted his eyes. “I, uh, have been having a hard time adjusting.” He said, answering a question that had been left unasked by the town. He seemed to have been adjusting just fine, as far as anyone could tell. “I don’t _remember_ my life from before, but I still have a basic understanding of objects and technology and wildlife and stuff.” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

Doug realized that he was being open and vulnerable and that he _hated_ seeing Dylas like this. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, to make him go back to normal but Dylas continued, “But then there’s things that happen or that I encounter and I have no idea what any of them are. And all of a sudden I realize that I’m not living in my time any more, and I have no idea how long everyone I knew has been dead for. I don’t even know what century I’m from, and everything and everyone has moved on without hesitation.”

“Dylas, I,” Doug swallowed a lump that he hadn’t even noticed forming in his throat, “I-I’m sorry.” He shuffled his feet and adjusted the lunch in his hands, unsure of what to say. He wanted to tell Dylas he understood, even if only a little bit, but he couldn’t talk about his village. Not yet. He couldn’t tell him how he had also lost everyone he knew, friends and family. Not when he seemed to have some connection to Ventuswill just like Frey and Amber.

Dylas cracked a ghost of a smile. “Don’t say anything, and you don’t have to apologize. The lunch is on me, I was being a jerk earlier.” He shrugged a bit, “I consider you a friend, even if I tease you a lot sometimes. It feels…right to interact like that with people I like.”

The dwarf felt his chest swell, a warm sensation flooding his body. A friend? He crushed the feeling down, the warmth being iced out with the realization that he couldn’t get too close. He had no friends in Selphia.

* * *

Doug got complacent in as nothing new came into the town and the events of the town stayed normal. Nothing nice in his life could last, it would seem, as word of a ghost started spreading around the town. He thought of his new friendship with Dylas and how close they had gotten, despite his promise to keep everyone at arm’s length. Somehow, it didn’t feel right to push away someone like him. No, not someone _like_ him, _just_ him. He couldn’t help himself when it came to the friendly banter and the teasing and the time spent together.

Still, the appearance of yet another strange monster brought Doug back to reality. He wasn’t here for a new life, he was here to avenge his old life. His home, his family, everyone he ever knew. For a while, it felt like he could ignore that. But now he had things to report, and the irrational feeling of guilt gnawed at him. Was it irrational, though?

He might not have a reason to feel guilty about getting revenge against the person who destroyed his village, but to _these_ people don’t see Ventuswill as that. Would they understand once they found out everything she had done? Would they still accept him? Would he even want to stay? Where else _could_ he go?

As Doug snooped around town looking for Frey and the ghost, he ran into Dylas instead. His shoulders tensed, realizing that he might actually have to lie to him, too. He didn’t _like_ lying to Blossom, but it was easy enough to turn his lies into half-truths by following through with what he said he would do. And it felt _different_.

“Hey short-stuff.” Dylas called out, a small smile starting to spread, “Where you scurrying off to?” Dylas flushed and tried to cover it with a grin.

“I’m just looking for Frey to ask for a favor. Trying to make something for Blossom.” He lied coolly. His words were smooth, but it felt like a swamp of bees erupted in his chest as the words spilled out.

If Dylas noticed, he made no indication of it. “You’re out of luck,” he replied, “I saw her take off for some mansion out west a few hours ago. Something about dealing with the town’s ghost problem.” He shrugged, “I don’t see why, not like the thing was causing any _trouble_ if everyone’s story is anything to go by.”

The swarming in his chest stopped cold, just as quickly as it had started. He was supposed to keep an eye on her. For her safety and for him to report back the progress. How had he gotten so lax on monitoring her? The command were going to be furious if something came of this and he wasn’t there to run interference.

“Hey, man?” Dylas waved at Doug, a bit of concern laced into his expression. Doug blinked away his spaced gaze and focused back on the person in front of him. “You okay? Wanna grab some lunch?”

He swallowed, throat suddenly dry as he overthought the implications of losing Frey on her newest mission. She _had_ left hours ago, though. “Yeah, yeah lunch sounds good.” He replied hoarsely. He avoided any questions about his own well-being and focused on talking about fishing and how things were going with Arthur and Porco.

It was nice, being able to ignore the crazy events of the town, even if just for the afternoon. He couldn’t do anything about missing Frey, so he wasn’t going to stress himself out about it. Yet.

* * *

Of course, Frey didn’t actually get rid of the ghost, Doug came to find out only a few hours after departing from Dylas’s company. She had been _helping_ the ghost, which entailed bringing back yet _another_ monster-turned human. Doug couldn’t wrap his head around the strange phenomena.

These must have been people originally. They all seemed to be from vastly different times with different personalities and they’re unique to the places where they were found…but _what_ turned them into monsters in the first place? And how was _Frey_ able to turn them back? These were questions Doug knew were in everyone’s minds, but they all kept themselves preoccupied with making the newcomers feel welcomed, safe, and settled, so they wouldn’t have to investigate too much. Only, it was Doug’s _duty_ to investigate.

Somehow, that resulted in him venting to Dylas about the frustrations of not understanding. He paced the other man’s bedroom, a place he wouldn’t have imagined being even just a few weeks ago, and complained endlessly as Dylas just…sat there.

“Why don’t you care!” Doug snapped, “You’re _one of them_! How do you not _care_ that nobody in town has a clue why you were a monster? Or why you turned back?” He threw his hands up, exhausted from going on and on about the topic.

Dylas gave him a small smile, “I’m here now,” he said with a shrug, “I don’t know who or what I’m missing from my past, but I’m here now.” Doug felt warm again, his exhaustion fading into a calmer feeling.

“I-I’m really glad you’re here.” Doug stumbled over his words, not expecting such a sincere response, “I just wish I wasn’t so confused all the time.” He took a seat next to Dylas on his bed and sighed heavily. “I hate not understanding what’s going on, and there’s a _lot_ that I don’t understand about this town.”

He stole a glance at Dylas, who was nodding along. If nothing else, _he_ understood. “Yeah, but even with the confusion this is still a pretty good place to be.” He offered, bumping into Doug’s shoulder.

“Yeah,” he replied, a bad feeling starting to grow in his gut, “This is a pretty good place to be.” He wondered if it would still be a good place after he was done with it. The people were all great, but the dragon meant a lot to them. What if losing her broke everything they had going for them here?

* * *

Dolce’s arrival didn’t change much about the town, other than Jones and Nancy being over the moon to have not one, but _two_ daughters. They loved Dolce and Pico, which was…good…Doug supposed. Even though the grim-faced young woman seemed intimidating at first, she was actually very sweet and kind-hearted. She just didn’t express herself much, which could be understood considering how much restraint she needed just to keep Pico in line.

* * *

Even still, Doug kept an eye on the people of the town. He began to wonder if the idea of taking down Ventuswill was even worth it. Despite his misgivings, if nothing else she did seem to care about the town. She gave them hope and a sense of security, but he wasn’t sure if that was enough. Was she enough? Would the town be enough without her, once the Sechs followed through with taking her out?

Doug spent more time with Dylas than he should, enjoying each moment even more than the last. He got the feeling that he would miss him most of all, if he had to leave once the dust settled. Maybe it would be better if Doug just left of his own accord before everything went down. That way he wouldn’t have to see his only real friend in this town realize what he’d done.

That thought made his heart sink; if he was going to lose the best human connection he’d had since the loss of his village…was all of this even worth it? Images of his friends, family, and the street filled with chatter and laughter flooded his mind. Yes, it _was_ worth it. He had to see the dragon brought to justice for what she had done.

* * *

Another person joined the town after a few months. He must have been the oldest by far, dressed in what looked like ancient regalia. He was suave and teased everyone, almost like Dylas, but he treated everyone the same. It was strange, seeing another monster-turned-human appear in town without any warning. Doug had severely slacked off on watching Frey, and there would be hell to pay if the Sechs command found out.

Leon, the new man’s name, teased Doug often and got along very well with Dylas. Too well, in his opinion. But still, Dylas was free to be friends with whoever he wanted, regardless of if Doug was jealous of time missed out with him.

Dylas noticed the attitude Doug had towards Leon, though, and went out of his way to talk with him about it.

“I don’t like the new guy more than you, you know.” He said, a teasing edge in his voice. Doug bristled, _he knew that_ , but it was embarrassing to know that he was noticeably jealous.

“I wouldn’t care if you _did_.” Doug quipped back, like a petulant child. “You can hang out with whoever you want, I’m not your mother.” He tried to sound reasonable and make his point clear, but to him it just seemed like he was being defensive. He hoped it didn’t seem that way to Dylas.

The other man cracked a smile and flung his arm around Doug as they walked, “I can, and I will,” he said, steering them towards Porco’s place, “but I wanted you to know that you’re the person I like most in this town.” Doug looked off to the side, trying to hide the grin he was poorly concealing.

It felt nice to have Dylas say that, even if he didn’t have to. _Especially_ since he didn’t have to. “Yeah, yeah, and I like you, too.” Their feet came to a halt and Doug realized they had walked past Porco’s place and towards the tower. “Wanna go up?” He offered, heading towards the door. Dylas followed in suit with a strange, soft look on his face.

“You really like me, too?” He asked as they reached the top of the tower. They leaned against the railing and looked out over the beautiful view.

“Of course I do,” Doug replied, bumping his shoulder absent mindedly, “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. I wouldn’t be hanging out with you everyday if I didn’t. I wouldn’t talk to you about,” he swallowed quickly, realizing his words weren’t the entire truth in a split-second, “everything if I didn’t.” He looked down towards his feet, a bit uneasy as he realized that he _didn’t_ talk to Dylas about everything. Dylas didn’t know anything about why he was there or how he had been leading a double life for the year or so.

Dylas brought his hand to Doug’s face, an odd gesture considering he’d never done that before, and pulled his gaze back up. As he leaned forward and his eyes drifted shut, Doug panicked. His face burned, his heart drummed loudly in his ears, and he shoved Dylas back. His eyes flew open and _his_ face flushed, too.

Both of them stood there for a moment, processing what just happened. Dylas averted his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck, seeming to try and come up with words to say. Doug’s mind was racing around the fact that Dylas tried to _kiss_ him. He meant he _liked_ him, not liked him. And Doug had done everything to indicate that he _liked_ him back. Maybe he did? He couldn’t, though, not now.

“I’m sorry, Doug.” Dylas finally spoke, “I shouldn’t have done that, I misunderstood.” Doug wanted to correct him, but how could he say that the only thing keeping him from wanting that was his own internal conflictions?

“Wha,” Doug shut his mouth once, then tried again, “What now?” He was confused and scared, did this mean he and Dylas weren’t friends anymore? Was if fair of him to _ask_ Dylas to still be his friend?

Dylas looked pained for a fraction of a second. He was the one rejected, yet he also had to decide what next? Doug knew he should step up, but he didn’t want to lose Dylas, too. “I,” Dylas took a breath, choosing his words carefully, “I care about you, Doug. A lot.” Doug’s heart thumped loudly enough that he had to focus on what Dylas was saying, “I want to spend time with you, however that comes.”

Relief flooded Doug’s chest. He still wanted to spend time with him. “Even…as friends?” He ventured carefully, still unsure of if it was fair or hurtful to want to keep things as they were.

Dylas hesitated, but nodded in agreement. “I just,” Doug looked off to the side and fidgeted, “There’s a lot going on right now in the town and with my life,” he explained, “I care about you a lot, too, and I don’t want to lose you in my life.”

“We can keep things like they were before, or I can back off even more if you want.” Dylas offered. His eyes still looked…sad. Doug felt terrible for making Dylas feel this way, but he knew it had to be done. The fact that he was still so patient and understanding broke him apart, though. Doug almost wished Dylas was more upset or angry, so he didn’t feel as bad for turning him down because of a bad situation.

“I like the way things were, if that’s okay,” Doug said, still fidgeting in his stance. He thought of everything he’d lost and the major life changes he’d had to make, even in this little town. Everything changed so much so quickly. He spoke before realizing it, blurting out, “Please don’t change.”

Dylas forced a smile, one that would have convinced anyone else in town, and bumped his shoulder on the way to the exit, “You got it.”


	3. Part 3: Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doug finds out something shocking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art in this chapter is by @randomstarmuffin on tumblr (@radstarmuffin on here!)

“Who’s there?!” Forte’s shout startled Doug. Something was wrong if she was using that kind of voice on someone in the town. Was someone hurt? Did someone try to steal something? He barreled through the front door of the shop and sprinted to the main square, where he heard her voice coming from. His sword was drawn, a rare sight from within the town walls.

The sight of a Sechs soldier shocked him. He hadn’t heard any word about an invasion _now_. He hadn’t prepared anything like this. Maybe it was a rogue solider? He pushed away his thoughts and focused on the issue at hand: someone armed was threatening the people of this town. That _wasn’t_ the plan.

Just as he readied for a fight, Frey ran up from behind him. She had just gone out to explore and forage when she heard the commotion and came running back.

The soldier groaned, annoyed at the three armed people in front of him. Forte ignored it and called out to him, “If you’re looking to start something from the shadows, you’ve come to the wrong place!” Her voice commanded authority, with no room for argument. “Game’s over. Your only choice now is to surrender.”

The soldier barked out a laugh, “You think we’re that easy?” Forte seemed confused, there was only one man before her, but he definitely said ‘we’. Doug gritted his teeth, he wanted to _leave_ before this happened. He didn’t want any part of the actual invasion, not anymore. Not now that these people knew him and trusted him. Not now that _he_ knew _them_. “Too bad for you, we have a secret weapon!”

Doug’s stomach dropped, he was just hanging out with Dylas only yesterday. He was going to spend more time with him and the other guys _tonight_. Why was this happening _now_?

“Now _do it_!” The soldier ordered. Doug froze on the spot. He knew what he was supposed to do. He should turn around and attack Frey. He’d been watching her for a year now, he knew how to fight her and could give the soldier the upper hand in fighting against Forte. But, he couldn’t move.

“Hey!” The soldier shouted again, growing impatient. “I’m talking to you!” He turned to face him pointedly, the implication obvious to anyone within earshot.

“Huh?” Doug replied, in a panic. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. This wasn’t how it was going to happen. He didn’t want to do this.

“What do you mean, _huh_?” The soldier shouted, surely gathering a crowd by now. Doug couldn’t even make himself look to see who else could hear his accusations. “We sent you to spy on these people for a reason, you know!” Doug felt nauseous. Forte let out a cry of surprise, but the solider just brushed it off, telling him, “Man, stay focused.”

He grumbled to himself, then added, “Let’s just get this over with.” Doug hesitated again, opening his mouth to speak some sort of defense or agreement or _something_. His lack of response made Forte’s trust falter. She gave him an uneasy look.

“Doug?” She asked, hesitantly. Doug averted his eyes, unable to handle even the slightest look of betrayal on her face. He wanted to defend himself, but he had been sent there to spy, and there wasn’t anything he could do to make that sound better.

Someone shuffled nearby, but he refused to look. “Stop talking nonsense!” Granny Blossom shouted, scolding the solider. Doug’s guilt intensified. He had lied to Granny, too. Betrayed her. “There’s no way that my Doug would do such a thing!” She moved closer to the soldier, giving him a piece of her mind.

“Who are you?” The solider replied apathetically. He was a bit confused at the turn of events, but he kept his sword at the ready.

“Stay back, Granny!” Doug warned. He didn’t want her to get hurt. Especially not while defending him. He didn’t deserve it, and he wouldn’t be able to bear seeing her hurt because of him.

“ _No!_ ” She snapped, “How could I? Why should I?” she argued passionately. He knew that she had taken him in and cared about him, but he never thought she would risk herself like this. Not for the sake of his _name_ of all things. “Listen,” she said, turning back to the soldier, “that boy may look rough, but he’s really a very sweet child! Although he complains like you wouldn’t believe, he always helps out at my store.” She puffed out an angry breath of air, “And you’re saying he’s a spy for your nasty little empire? Who’s going to believe a silly story like that?!”

Doug’s emotions were conflicted. He felt guilty for the lie and everything he had done against the town, but it warmed his heart to hear how much Granny cared about him and believed in him. “Granny…” he tried to find words to express himself, but now wasn’t the time.

“It’s all a lie.” The soldier spat, “An act!” He glanced at the people standing around him, “Come on, Doug, back me up here. Say _something_ damnit!” Doug tried to speak, to come clean to the townspeople, but he couldn’t mutter out more than the start of a sentence.

Blossom scoffed, “You must have come up with this ludicrous scheme on the spot, to turn us against each other! You ought to be ashamed of yourself, you slimy coward!” The jab dug deep, but not where she meant it to. Doug felt like a coward.

The soldier just clicked his tongue in annoyance. “That’s it, you’ve crossed the line you old bag,” he snarled, lunging forward. Doug anticipated the moment as best he could, pushing Blossom out of the way and taking the brunt of the blow against his sword. The solider had _really_ gone after Blossom. He fell to the ground, the wind knocked out of him.

Forte and Frey rushed forward, calling out to him. Frey spoke up the loudest, “Doug are you okay?” she cried out, concern laced in her voice.

“Yeah,” he grunted, “I’m fine,” he glanced over at Blossom, “What about… Granny Blossom?” She was standing near him and shushed him.

“Don’t you worry about me.” Doug could feel his labored breathing start to wind down. That had really scared him.

“Thank goodness,” he said softly, still laying on the ground. The soldier was stunned by the turn of events, thankfully, and hadn’t tried to go for her a second time.

“Moron,” the soldier muttered to himself, albeit still audible to the rest of them.

“Your actions are unforgivable!” Frey shouted, more angry than Doug had ever seen her. He hadn’t been sure before that she was capable of true anger.

The solider turned his attention to Frey. “You’re Frey, right? Finally found you!”

“Why do you know my name?” she replied, suddenly uneasy. Doug knew how. He had told them.

“Remember the guy who dropped you from the airship?” The solider said, almost in a joking manner, “I’m his boss. Well, _was_.” He amended, with a chuckle. He continued, “I’m surprised you’re still alive, falling from that high up. Had you given me the rune sphere back then…”

The soldier looked around as he trailed off, then shrugged, “Well I guess it’s all the same now, really.” Frey sputtered, still confused about what he was talking about. Clearly, she didn’t remember the incident he mentioned. “Before I get to that, though, let me deal with him first.”

The soldier turned to Doug and snapped, “What the _hell_ do you think you’re doing?” Doug groaned.

“Damn…” He mumbled, forcing himself to stand up. The blow hurt more than he initially thought. “Why is this…?” He trailed off, not sure how to ask the question he already knew the answer to. He just didn’t like the answer he already had.

“That’s my line.” The solider replied quickly, cutting him off from forming a better question. “What are you even thinking? Why are you protecting the enemy? Ventuswill killed your parents, remember? Weren’t you trying to take revenge for their deaths?”

Doug positioned himself between the soldier and Blossom. He couldn’t speak, he knew his voice would crack if he tried. He didn’t know what to think, really. They were supposed to be getting revenge against _Ventuswill_ , not these innocent townspeople. Not Frey, or Blossom, or Forte. He _knew_ his parents were dead and she was to blame, but he couldn’t let it go down like this. He had lost his family and village once, he wouldn’t lose another one just because of some half-cocked soldier’s attempt at an invasion.

“Maybe you’ve come to realize,” the soldier continued, taking a single stride closer to Doug. He tightened his grip on his sword, ready for another attack, “that it was actually us that killed your village.”

A second passed, Doug blinked, “What?” He asked, his voice wavering. That couldn’t be true, that would mean everything was wrong. That everything he’s done, every lie he’s told, every act of betrayal couldn’t even _begin_ to be justified.

“You didn’t know?” The soldier asked, surprised by Doug’s reaction, “I figured that’s the only reason you’d betray us.” He couldn’t think straight, and didn’t like the conclusions he was coming to.

“What,” he forced out, “do you mean?” He needed clarification. Surely this wasn’t _actually_ that simple. He couldn’t have messed up that badly. He couldn’t have.

“It’s exactly as I said,” The soldier dug in deep. The cat had already been let out of the bag, and Doug had already sided against him regardless, so he rubbed salt into the wound with his words, “It wasn’t Ventuswill that killed your parents. It was us Sechs.” His tone was nasty and sharp, leaving Doug feeling weak.

“Why?” he breathed out, the past year’s worth of actions and events tumbling down around him.

The soldier scoffed, “How would I know?” He replied, “Maybe something like refusing the Empire’s orders,” he shrugged it off, “That’s my guess, anyway.” He rolled his shoulder forward, taking a stance, “Which means you’ll be seeing your parents _real_ soon.” Doug’s grip on his sword slackened, he didn’t know if he could even handle a fight right now. He didn’t _want_ to handle a fight.

“ _Stop!”_ Frey shouted, getting the soldier’s attention. He whipped around to her and chuckled.

“That’s what I like to hear, can’t get enough of it!” He taunted, readying himself towards her instead, “After all, I do have unfinished business with you, so this is just a wonderful opportunity.” Doug didn’t understand his confidence. The man was outnumbered, even if Doug couldn’t bring himself to swing. He could, though, if he needed to defend Granny. A quick glance back and he knew she was still too close, but with a stubborn expression that told him she wouldn’t be going anywhere.

“What?” Frey asked, unclear on the ‘unfinished business’. Doug winced, he had an idea of what they were planning for Frey, but he hadn’t wanted to think of it.

“My mission is to get rid of all you annoying earthmates,” the soldier explained, “So you’d best say your prayers, cause your number’s up!”

“Over my dead body,” Forte interjected loudly. She raised her sword gallantly and glared at the soldier. “I’m sorry,” she said to Frey, “had I been a better knight…” she trailed off quietly, stealing a glace at Doug. He knew she must have conflicted feelings about him right now, in light of his betrayal. “But I won’t let anyone get hurt again.”

“I see,” he replied, “I wonder if you’ll be able to handle the likes of me, though.” His confidence in his abilities at the face three trained fighters worried Doug.

“You think you’re good enough to face my sword?” Forte challenged.

“Quite the confident one,” the soldier said, laughing, “Well I might not look intimidating now, but,” he hesitated, then laughed again, “surprises should be saved until the end, don’t you think?” Doug’s nerves were off the wall, now. He didn’t know what the soldier had up his sleeves, but he did know that the Sechs had been working on some intense spells.

“Are you going to start saying that Frey is a spy, now?”

The solider laughed more, “No, no, to put it simply, I’m stronger than you.” Doug sized the man up. Although looks could be deceiving, he doubted the soldier had enough raw power or trained skill to outplay both Frey _and_ Forte. “Because now I have the power of the rune spheres!”

Doug’s eyes widened, the power boost from them could tide the fight in his favor, for sure. The soldier took one out to show it off, Frey and Forte’s cries of surprise in the background.

“Oh yeah,” he added, feigning surprise, “now that we’ve collected all of them, Lady Ventuswill must be sound asleep. Down to her last gasp.” Doug couldn’t catch a break, he had known about the spheres and reported about them, but he hadn’t known they would _take_ them. He didn’t know they would _use_ them. And now Ventuswill, who was innocent, could die.

“Without that, Venti will-!” Frey yelled out, trying to say something to reason with the solider. He cut her off with more laughter, more sinister as it went along.

“I’ll bet you’re sad,” the solider taunted, “I’ll bet you’re frustrated! Don’t worry though,” his voice turned into a sickly sweet tone, a sound of faux-comfort. Then he took a step back and shouted to the heavens, “With the power of the rune sphere, _Omni Gate_!”

The ground shook and a bright flash of white and green appeared before them as he waved the stone around. He summoned a large dragon monster in front of him and shouted, “I can release you all from your sadness! _Etherlink!_ ”

Suddenly, his body shot forward, merging with the dragon before him. Then, his voice called out again, distorted and deeper, from the monster itself, “I can send you to the great beyond!”

Frey called out to Blossom and told her to take Doug somewhere safe. He tried to protest, but he felt weak, and he struggled to stay standing.

“Granny Blossom, hold onto me,” he offered, staggering towards her to help her back to the shop. She glared up at him with concern and anger.

“What are you saying with all those injuries?!” she cried out, appalled at the notion. Doug bit back his anger, he wasn’t angry at _Blossom_. He was angry at _himself_.

“Just listen to me,” he said, his voice broken and battered, “this is the least I can do.” She tried to argue with him, but he talked over her, “Frey, Forte. Sorry,” he looked down and steeled himself, “I’ll have to leave the rest to you. The two assured him they would handle it, and he had no doubt of their abilities. He hurried off to the shop with Blossom.

Upstairs, he sat in silence as Blossom gave him a bag of ice and checked his eyes. He didn’t want to speak, and the moment the noises of battle stopped, he would be out there to make sure they were okay.

The fight didn’t take long, after only a few minutes there was a stretch of silence. Doug rushed out, with Blossom on his tail. The town center was empty, save for Frey and Forte.

“Where is he?” Doug asked.

“He ran away.” Frey replied quickly, putting his worries at ease, if only a little bit. He cracked the ghost of a smile.

“Did he?”

A group of townspeople swarmed the center, also having waited for the fight to stop. Doug stood off the side of the new crowd, trying to play back everything that happened in his mind. He couldn’t understand how he was deceived so easily. How he could do so much damage, _for nothing_. He could have gotten Blossom and Frey and Forte and _Ventuswill_ killed. All of them, just because he fell for a stupid trick. A ploy for them to get an easy spy.

“-oug? Doug!” His name echoed through his ears, but it didn’t register any meaning. He couldn’t think straight, the events of the past hour melted together into a mess of a memory. A hand rested on his shoulder then jerked him forward.

“Doug, are you alright?” Blossom’s worried voice brought him back to the present, even if he would rather be anywhere else. “Come sit down, you look faint.” He followed her over to the bench mutely and sat with her. He felt a whirlwind of emotions that were impossible to distinguish.

Others showed up shortly after. Frey, Clorica, Volkanon, and Nancy stood at the front, each trying to check on him. The whirlwind he felt dissipated, leaving only gut-wrenching guilt. Nancy checked him over as the rest watched. She felt his pulse and monitored his breathing, checking for something that he didn’t understand.

“Well, you seem like you’re just coming out of a bit of a tizzy.” She smiled softly, but it didn’t make him feel better. “You’re alright, Doug.”

“A tizzy?” Volkanon questioned, his naturally booming voice startling Doug a little. He managed to save himself the embarrassment of jumping. Nancy glanced at him, then gave a half-hearted shrug.

“A panic attack, but sometimes just hearing panic attack can upset the patient more, so if I’m in the habit of using less than technical terms. But Doug seems fine now.” She turned her attention to him, “How are you feeling?”

He felt uncomfortable. He felt guilty, humiliated. He felt like he was being put on the spot and that nothing he said would be the right response. He felt like the whole town shouldn’t be as worried about him as they seem to be right now. He felt like running. He felt like crying.

“I feel fine, really, just a little surprised,” He lied through his teeth, with a smile that none of them had seen through before. He doubted they would know the difference now, either. He glanced at Frey, who looked most concerned of them all. How, he had no idea. “Can we talk, Frey?” Doug’s eyes darted around the rest of the group, who seemed to be waiting for him to continue. “Alone?”

* * *

The group dispersed easily enough, though the concern that lingered left Doug feeling uneasy. He didn’t like that they didn’t seem to mind that he had been betraying their trust from the beginning. None of them even seemed to have lost any trust in him. If anything, they seemed like they were trying to make something up to him. Which baffled him; they had nothing to make up for.

“I’m sorry, Frey.” He cast his eyes downwards, he couldn’t meet hers. “For trying to sabotage your search for the rune spheres, and for doubting you when you backed Ventuswill.” His throat felt tight, “I’ve seen how much she looks after and cares for everyone here, but I ignored it because of what I was led to believe. And now-“ his voice cracked and he swallowed the tightness down, “now Ventuswill is suffering because I was wrong.”

Frey stayed quiet. A moment passed, and Doug heard her take a deep breath and sigh. “There’s nothing we can do about it now. You were wrong about her, but now you know the truth and can move forward. You can help us stop whatever the Sech Empire is planning.” Her eyes burned with passion that always possessed her. “Now more than ever, we can’t afford to turn on one another. You’re with us, and that’s all that matters.”

Doug ran his hands through his hair, the stress of his emotions still bearing on him. Frey always seemed to understand Selphia’s problems. But not his. He glanced back at her eyes, still fiery and ready for action. No, he wouldn’t be able to convince her. Not now, not like this. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to convince her to treat him the way he deserved. Shouldn’t he be relieved, happy even? This town he had betrayed was not only allowing him to stay with them, but they were acting as if he hadn’t done anything wrong. Acting like they had failed him.

“Yeah,” he replied to Frey. He hoped he hadn’t been silent for too long. “you’re right, I’m with you. And we’ll sort everything out.”

Yet the knot in his stomach persisted.

* * *

The hours passed slowly. Each time he hoped to lose himself in some menial, time-consuming task, a new face would stop by the shop to check on him. A small light of hope emerged each time that they pretended to be there for groceries, or just seemed to be lingering. It diminished quickly when he realized what they were actually doing. They weren’t monitoring him or making sure that he was really on their side, like he expected. They were checking in on him. Constantly.

Xiao Pai was the most recent one to come through, pretending as if she needed things for the inn. Doug almost found it funny. She was a terrible actress and too clumsy to be inconspicuous. Not to mention, most of the goods the inn received were in bulk from her father’s travels. She and her mother rarely shopped here, and when they did…neither of them ever managed to find their whole list without assistance.

“Uhm,” her small voice had a surprising amount of volume, “this is where your flour is, yes?” She asked, standing directly in front of the shelf with their flour selection. Doug had the urge to laugh, but he let it be.

“Yeah,” he nodded, “we don’t have any other types in stock, but if the Bell Hotel needs something for a special event, we might be able to order some.” Xiao Pai stared blankly for a second.

“Yes!” She exclaimed, then turned on her heel and left. It struck Doug as odd, but nearly everything that girl did. He briefly wondered if she even needed flour, before going back to rotating stock.

* * *

The rest of the day passed pretty uneventfully, and it left Doug with a sour taste in his mouth. He really didn’t like the attitude the people in town seemed to have towards him. If he had been the one betrayed, he doubted he could return so easily to a normal routine. He doubted he could ever interact with the person who betrayed him at all.

Everyone he came in contact with seemed to be holding their breath around him, treating him like he was breakable, just…acting oddly. He expected such behavior, just not in such an amicable and caring way. Why did they all seem to be trying to coddle him? Why did they want to make him feel better? Every effort to comfort him only tightened the ever-growing knot of guilt inside of him. He had apologized and promised to help right everything he had helped wrong, but it didn’t appease the feelings he had one bit.

As he helped Blossom set the table for dinner, he couldn’t help but notice that she had started to make his favorite meal. Previously made when he was sick or for his birthday, or occasionally when he had helped with a particularly difficult task around the shop. Tonight the sight of it just made his stomach turn. He set her dish and silverware out, then turned towards his room for the night.

“I’m not very hungry,” he excused himself, before she could make her official reveal of a tempura bowl, “I think I’m just going to head to bed for now.” He didn’t dare look at Blossom as she responded with a disappointed wish of goodnight.

He threw himself on his bed as hard as he could without being noisy. He wanted to be noisy. Yell or shout or cry, but he had no right to be upset with how he was being treated. He figured he could deal with being ostracized or exiled. He probably could have even handled if everyone had just acted like nothing was different at all. It was the sympathy and the concern for him that drove him nuts. He just didn’t understand.

Doug could hear Blossom shuffling around as she cleaned up her dishes and packed up some leftovers for him. He smiled at her consideration. Maybe even if only Blossom was acting this way, he could understand that, too. She had always been good to him; treated him like a son. He loved her dearly for it.

As she left the kitchen to head to bed, she stopped by his door. He stilled himself, pretending to be asleep so he wouldn’t have to talk. Love or not, these feelings weren’t something he was ready to discuss. “Silly boy,” she mumbled to herself. With a quick tug, she pulled his shoes off and let them fall to the floor at the foot of his bed. He heard the door creak shut, then attempted to sleep.


	4. Part 4: Inescapable Guilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doug was forgiven easily, but that bothers him.

Doug spent the rest of the week actively avoiding everyone in town. He tried to, anyway. He found out on the second day that Blossom had started siccing people on him to make him feel better. Which, coincidentally, only made him feel worse. These people were now going out of their way to make _him_ feel better, when _he_ was the cause of everything.

So he toned it down, avoiding only the people that it would hurt the most to see. Frey, Forte, Ventuswill, and…Dylas. He really didn’t want to see Dylas. He knew he would have to explain everything to him, and Doug wasn’t really up for that. He didn’t feel up for anything.

He took each step carefully, feeling like only one wrong move would make the town realize how awful his betrayal was and they’d kick him out forever. Maybe they should. He could still be a danger to them, for all they knew, and they were treating him the same as always.

No, not the same as always. They were treating him very carefully, very considerately; they were watching their mouths around him and avoiding talking about anything that might upset him.

Twice already he had walked up to Vishnal, trying to keep up appearances and relationships with his friends, only to have the butler-in-training stop talking mid-sentence and change the subject abruptly, as if Doug hadn’t heard the topics about Ventuswill as he walked up.

He supposed he should be grateful that they cared enough about him to consider his feelings on being deceived, but it made the guilt in his gut grow each time it happened. It felt like he was taking advantage of their kindness by not facing consequences for what he had done.

And so, slowly, he started avoiding the people of the town again. This time, no matter who Blossom sent after him, he kept walking and he kept the door shut. He decided that if they couldn’t, he would punish himself for it.

* * *

But was it punishment? As he lay in bed thinking far too many things at once, he realized this was just another way he was running away from the consequences. He couldn’t win. If he spoke with them he felt guilty, and if he avoided them he felt like a coward. He hated the entire situation. He wanted to scream and cry and leave the town and never come back.

Which was even worse than wallowing around in his own emotions. He cried, instead. He sat up and shut the door, locking it tight. Doug crawled back up on the bed and held his knees tight against his chest, rocking slightly. Sobs wracked through his chest and his breath turned ragged the longer he cried.

He thought of his parents and the rest of his family, who had lived in a small house together. It was full of love and he missed them. He thought of how he was going to learn how to forge, as the dwarves in his village were famous for, but that was stolen away from him. He remembered the street full of the younger children laughing and playing until they were called back into their homes for dinner.

He thought of his friends he had, and all the friends he lost. He cried until he couldn’t breathe, gasping for air as he fought against the wails. He had spent so much time keeping everything under lock and key that it felt like he was learning how to cry all over again.

Doug was denied the chance to grieve his family, another thing the Sechs took from him. He’d pinned the blame on Ventuswill and had been running on anger and thoughts of revenge for too long. Then, when he finally felt comfortable, he had been ignoring everything that hurt him in the first place.

He couldn’t bear the thought of asking Frey what she really thought of him. Surely she didn’t actually forgive him so easily, he didn’t deserve that. He remembered the look Forte had in her eyes the moment her trust in him broke. He knew just from that look that she believed the soldier, as she should have, and that she wouldn’t treat him as a friend anymore. Yet she had, despite all odds.

She was stiff when they encountered each other, but she still went out of her way to make sure he was okay. The look of distrust and betrayal was gone completely when she interacted with him, something he knew she wasn’t capable of faking. He just didn’t understand _why_. He hated this unearned forgiveness so freely given.

He wanted someone to be angry at him, someone to be as frustrated and hurt and angry at him as he was at himself. As his tears began to run dry, Doug found himself just laying in his bed, breathing in an unsteady and ragged pace. Having exhausted himself, he fell asleep soon after.

* * *

He woke up the next morning pounding on his door. He rolled over and ignored it, figuring that Vishnal or Frey or Kiel would just leave eventually. A few moments passed, and whoever was behind the door thumped against it angrily and slid down. Were they…sitting against the door waiting for him?

Doug carefully got out of bed, hoping to avoid making any noise. He snuck near the door and tried to peek through a crack to see who came this time. Through the small space between the door and the frame, he could see Dylas’s jacket.

His gut wrenched and he flew back into bed, thumping it against the wall as he landed. Dylas shuffled around outside and stood up, banging on the door again.

“Alright you bastard,” he called out, “I heard you in there and I know you’re awake!” Doug stayed quiet. Maybe he could still play it off. “And even if you’re _not_ awake, I brought a lunch. I can stay out here all damn day.” That was a threat if Doug ever heard one.

He slowly approached the door, but froze as his hand reached for the doorknob. “What do you want?” He asked, hand still suspended. “Why are you here?”

Dylas scoffed, “Come out and find out, short stuff.” Doug debated his options, but realized that Dylas really could, and _would_ wait him out. He had to leave eventually to eat. Still, the thought of facing him turned his stomach. At least the fact that Dylas came to _him_ had to be a good sign.

He turned the knob and came out, still disheveled from sleeping in the clothes he wore the day before. Dylas looked him over once and sighed, “Why are you doing this?” He asked, a bit disheartened. Doug crossed his arms defensively.

“I should be asking _you_ that. Why are you doing this?” He parroted back. It sounded a bit childish to him, but he felt on edge just being near Dylas. He didn’t think he could take losing him, too. Dylas placed his hand on Doug’s crossed arms, gently pushing them down to uncross.

“I’m _here_ because we’re friends and I care about you,” he explained slowly, emphasizing his words more than necessary. It was clear he was annoyed by Doug’s antics. “And _you’re_ the one who asked me not to change. So why are _you_ going back on that?” His face fell slightly, and his tone dropped to match, “Do you just not want me around you anymore?”

Doug felt panicky. He had been so keen on avoiding this exact situation that he _caused_ it. “N-no!” He sputtered, “I-I, I just,” he sighed deeply, trying to compose himself, “I was… scared.” He hesitated, “I messed up, and I didn’t want to lose you. I was... running away.”

Dylas’s expression remained the same. He stood there, just looking at Doug for a moment. “Are you going to keep running away?” He finally said.

“I don’t know.” Doug blurted, before he could stop himself. “I don’t know, I just want this feeling to go _away_.” Dylas walked past him and sat on his bed, making himself at home. He jerked his head to the side, indicating for Doug to sit with him.

“What feeling?” he probed, watching as Doug took a seat next to him. Doug just shrugged, trying to give off a noncommittal answer. “Ya can’t get rid of it ‘til you address it.”

Doug took a deep breath and looked away from Dylas, “You mean a lot to me. This whole town suddenly meant a lot to me, and I could have done irreparable damage to it…to you guys.” He blinked away tears forming in his eyes, “I was so scared that I would be kicked out, but nobody is even mad at me and I don’t understand.”

Dylas listened patiently, but when Doug stopped, he replied, “Because we all care about you. Because you had been lied to, and used, and hurt in the process, too.” He put his hand on Doug’s shoulder, the weight comforting. “Yeah, it would have been nice if you had talked to the people of the town to sort things out before it came to this, but would you have believed anyone if they had tried to set you straight?” Doug shook his head slowly.

“I…” he started slowly, “I wasn’t in a very good place, then. You never saw me like that. I was jumpy and reclusive and suspicious of everyone back then.” He let out a dry laugh, “I’m not even sure why they kept trying to warm me up to them, but I’m glad they did.”

“I _have_ seen you like that,” Dylas corrected, “I’ve seen you act like this all week, and I’m sick of it. They kept trying to get you to warm up to them because they could see the person you _could_ be, and they wanted to see you _become_ that person.” He smiled at Doug, another comfort for him, “And I’ve _seen_ the person you can be, and I want to see you become him _again_.”

Doug gave him a weak smile in return. “I was worried everything coming out would change us,” he said quietly, “Change how we were.” He was scared to admit it, but Dylas was who he was most scared of losing, probably. Dylas wrapped him up in a hug, a comfort that he hadn’t expected.

“I already told you that I wouldn’t change. I want you in my life, and I’ll always be here for you, as a friend.” Dylas squeezed him a bit, then let him go. Doug felt himself wish for a longer hug, but couldn’t bring himself to say anything.

He wanted to say he wasn’t sure about just wanting to be friends, but he couldn’t. He could mess everything up, now. Dylas might not even be interested in being more than friends anymore, Doug might have already messed that up.

Still, even though he thought he wanted more, what he really needed right now was a friend. Like Dylas. He needed this anchor, and he couldn’t handle that change right now, whether it worked out or not.


	5. Part 5: Happy Endings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You already know they get together

Doug couldn’t keep his eyes off of Dylas’s twitching ears. There was something off about the other man, but he wasn’t budging on the topic, and it bothered him. Even more so, however, it bothered Doug that he _wanted_ Dylas to change. Even after all the anguish he experienced with the townspeople treating him differently, and his feelings of relief when Dylas never changed, he couldn’t help but find himself _expecting_ a change. He _wanted_ a change from him.

Doug’s face betrayed his disappointment. If Dylas noticed, he didn’t give any indication. The message was crystal clear. He had been very vocal about not wanting their relationship dynamic to change, so if he wanted it to now, he would have to initiate it. The thought made him nervous, he had never had a serious relationship before, and a relationship was the _last_ think he expected from this place.

…Yet it was comforting, despite Doug’s nerves. He didn’t have to worry about ruining what he had with Dylas. He could move forward with their relationship at his own pace. Dylas had already made _his_ feelings known, and he was willing to keep things the same for him. Doug might not know how long Dylas would wait around for him- maybe that was the source of his nervousness? -but just a glance over at him put him at ease. Dylas _cared_ about him, and a lot. Even if he took too long to be ready for something serious, Doug was pretty sure he would still have his friend.

So they kept it casual. The two started hanging out more, just like normal. Doug felt himself getting flustered more and more easily, but Dylas never teased him for it. That in itself felt a little odd, but there was plenty of teasing nonetheless.

Doug started inviting Dylas over for dinner. Blossom was _elated_ to have another mouth to feed, and “That Dylas boy just seems to make the whole house happier,” she started saying more often. It seemed that it only took a few days of eating along with Doug before she started asking when Dylas would come over again.

At least it gave Doug an excuse to invite him more often. The knowing smile he would give when he agreed made him flush just thinking about it, but Doug was happy to spend the time with Dylas. He was happy to have those smiles shared between them. Dylas didn’t smile like that for anyone else, and his heart almost couldn’t take it.

Rumors started circulating around town about them before too long. It seemed like it had only been a few months since they had really started spending so much time together, yet the whole town was skirting around the topic any time the two of them were within earshot. Of course, they often misjudged how far Doug could hear or how loud they were being. Especially Illuminata and Kiel, they were Doug’s best source of the rumors going around at any given time. Well, the _easiest_ source. Kiel’s rumor about Dylas making an engagement ring for Doug felt a little far-fetched based on how everything had been going.

Even Leon didn’t say anything them about the way they tip-toed around the idea of a romantic relationship. That surprised Doug, if he was being honest. He had expected to be teased mercilessly by the over-dramatic banter that Leon always brought to the table, yet there hadn’t been a peep out of him about…anything regarding Doug and Dylas’s interactions. Doug _wanted_ to be suspicious, like there was some kind of joke going on, but he figured out pretty early on that Leon just had enough tact not to mess with something like that.

* * *

As the days went by, and Doug became more comfortable with the idea of relationships, he started thinking of Dylas more in that manner. He wanted to be close to him and spend time with him. He just enjoyed his company and the occasional touches they shared. The first time he reached out for Dylas’s hand was nerve-wracking. He expected something from Dylas, a comment or even for him to jerk his hand back in surprise, maybe. A gentle squeeze _wasn’t_ what he expected, but it made his heart hammer in his chest. Such a small gesture, but he knew he was hooked.

The next day, they walked out to the lake. Doug would often accompany Dylas out there while he fished. _Doug_ wasn’t very good at it, but he enjoyed watching Dylas fish and the conversations about nothing that they would have. Sometimes they wouldn’t speak at all, and he enjoyed the comfortable silence. Today, however, Doug was determined to have a serious talk.

Dylas threw out his line and took a seat by the shore. He smiled over at Doug, “This weather is perfect for fishing. The wind makes ripples in the water so they don’t notice the sudden change when the bobber from my line disrupts the surface of the water.” He shifted his pole around, “A lot of people don’t think about how to trick fish ‘cause they don’t think fish are smart enough to _need_ to be tricked. But the best quality fish, you have to put some effort into.”

Doug nodded along and set out the picnic Blossom had made him bring along. He thought she was being pushy when she insisted, since they would normally go to Porco’s right after fishing anyway, but now he was thanking her silently for it. He didn’t want to leave this quiet place where he had Dylas to himself for a while.

He tried to work up the courage to bring the topic up, but every time he thought he could finally speak up, Dylas got a bite on his line or reeled in a fish. He couldn’t _not_ respond to his excitement, and every time he lost what little confidence he had worked up.

It felt a little easier when Dylas had finally filled up his bucket and decided to be done for the day. Now, Doug rationalized out, there was nothing else to interrupt what he wanted to say.

“A tempura bowl _and_ milk porridge? What kind of special occasion did Blossom pack for?” Dylas teased, grabbing for the milk porridge as soon as he saw it. Doug fished out the silverware and his own bowl.

“I dunno,” he nearly grit his teeth at the knee-jerk reaction to deny, “she insisted I bring lunch for us, even though I told her we normally get food from Porco’s after fishing.” He took a bite and looked up at Dylas. It was a really nice day, with a gentle breeze and nobody around them. “But…it’s really nice to have a change of pace, and the food’s good, and I like picnics.”

Dylas didn’t comment on his rambling, thankfully, but ate his food heartily. Doug held his bowl out to him, and Dylas took the bowl and replaced it with his. The milk porridge was just as good as the tempura bowl, but a man had to have his own tastes. “Alright swap back,” he grumbled. The milk porridge didn’t have quite enough substance for Doug’s tastes.

Dylas held up the empty bowl in response, grinning like the cat who caught the canary. Doug pursed his lips and set his bowl down before lunging at Dylas. They had play-fought before, but this time was different. Doug was going for his sides, and started tickling him.

Nearly choking with laughter on the ground, Dylas barked out, “That’s _cheating!_ ” and tried to struggle away from Doug’s attack. With Doug straddling him, his movement was severely limited. But _Doug’s_ movement was also limited, and he was open for a counterattack. Dylas fought through his own laughter to start tickling Doug in return. The dwarf seized up immediately and fell off of him, laughing so hard he wheezed.

“Are you done?” Dylas asked, tormenting him by making him answer through the tickling. Doug couldn’t speak from laughing so hard so he eased up a bit and repeated, “Are you done tickling me? Admit I won.”

“N-never!” Doug wheezed. Dylas returned to his initial tickling and Doug swatted at his hands, “D-done!” His laughter made it difficult to speak, “’m’done! You win!” He wiped at the tears streaking down his face from laughing too hard as Dylas helped him sit back up. “ _That_ wasn’t fair.”

Shrugging, Dylas said, “Don’t dish it out if you can’t take it, man.” Doug resisted the urge to pout, because he was _right_ , he just didn’t expect Dylas to be able to get the upper hand when he was…when he…Doug’s face flushed. He hadn’t even realized that he had just been _straddling_ Dylas on the ground. That wasn’t appropriate _or_ good for his nerves.

“Are we ready to clean up, then?” Dylas offered him an out, like he always seemed to be doing when Doug got in too deep with something he couldn’t deal with. He nodded, thankful once again that Dylas was one step ahead of him.

They tidied up their picnic and started to head back to Blossom’s place to return the dishware. Suddenly, Doug planted his feet in the ground just before they reached the town’s walkway. Dylas took a few more steps before noticing the halt and turned back to look at him.

“Everything okay, Doug?” He asked, concern painted on his face. It ate Doug up to see him so concerned for him. Yeah, he worried about Dylas, too. But Dylas had to be _so_ careful and _so_ considerate towards Doug for… no reason. Why did he have to put forth so much effort to maintain this friendship when he didn’t even want to _just_ be friends, anyway? Was he just waiting for Doug to come around? Did he decide to give up on the idea of a relationship with him? Were they truly just friends and nothing else now? Could they never be-

“ _Doug_ , is everything alright?” Dylas looked distressed now, and a pang of guilt hit Doug right in the chest. He was so sincere in everything he did when it came to Doug, and here he was, doubting the most innocent of gestures. Dylas wasn’t trying to hold out for a relationship with Doug, he _had_ one already and was willing to go with whatever was most comfortable for him.

“No.” Doug blurted suddenly. “Nothing’s alright, I’ve been thinking of this for weeks now, and sorting everything out has been so hard.” He felt his chest constrict, but he took a deep breath to try and work through the discomfort. He had already started it, albeit not the way he intended to, and he needed to finish it.

“I lied to you, a couple months back. When you said that you liked me and you wanted more than just friendship? I lied about what I wanted.” Dylas’s expression dropped, the change making Doug feel even worse about getting his thoughts out in the open.

“Hey, it’s okay, I-I know I have been kind of selfish with your time, but I can back off-“ Dylas’s voice was so small and hurt that Doug had to cut him off before he got too much of the wrong impression.

“ _No_. No, no.” Doug didn’t have this planned out very well and he felt like he was confusing Dylas _and_ himself the more he talked. He held his hand up at Dylas, who had started to back away from him. “Just. Hang on.” His eyes squeezed shut and he took a shaky breath.

“I _want_ something more with you, but the idea of something serious is _terrifying_. I-“ Doug stole a glance at Dylas, which was the wrong thing to do. He was teared up and holding his breath. “ _I’m sorry!_ ” Doug squawked. “Are, are you okay?”

“I thought you were going to say you lied about still wanting to hang out with me. I thought you meant that you didn’t want anything to do with me anymore.” He wiped at his face, clearly embarrassed by the sudden emotion he showed, “I’m just so relieved that you’re not trying to push me away.”

“Of course not, you mean so much to me,” Doug explained, stepping closer to him, “I was scared of us changing, maybe messing everything up by trying to date. But, but I was lying when I said I didn’t want us to change.”

* * *

Nobody questioned the sudden change in their relationship back in town, or the tear tracks down their faces. Blossom smiled at Doug with the kind of smile that only an instigator could have. He returned it, happy with his new life in Selphia.


End file.
